Crossroads Series Discussion.

[Emmerdalefan]

Crossroads was another classic soap opera and Noele Gordon was the star of the show. It began in November 1964 and run until 1988 the came back in 2001 to 2003.

I am friends of Facebook with Jean Rogers who is most famous as the legendary Dolly Skilbeck but she had a role in Crossroads as Julie Shepherd, Meg's secretary. Also I have been past the grave of the comedian Max Wall in Highgate Cemetery and he played Walter Soper, a recurring character.

It is such a shame that a lot of the episodes have been wiped. I often hope that a few more lost episodes may be in a vault somewhere waiting to be discovered. Wikipedia says 4298 episodes were made overall. I reckon they should bring back the show, at least for some final ever episodes. Maybe November 2014 for the 50th anniversary.

[TonyUKsoapfan]

4512 episodes, Wiki is often a bit off .

4510 shown on ITV, the last one being three episodes stuck together. Interesting fact is the show was produced by the Entertainment Department as there wasn't a drama department at ATV Midlands when Crossroads began, all the dramas were produced in London by ATV before this. Based on the soap opera formats of NBC and ABC in America where Reg Watson and Noele Gordon spent a year studying the format. Its first critical review praised it, then it went downhill with the critics there after LOL. Barry Norman wasn't a fan. Prince Phillip was and asked for a special visit to the studios in 1971.

[anndra_w]

I can barely remember the original Crossroads when I was a kid but I knew what it was. I've watched a few episodes of the original version online. Noele Gordon is good to watch. I also thought the Valerie Pollard character seemed quite funny. I watched all the revived version of the show and thought it started off really well. It was good having Jill and Adam but the it seemed like the lack of continuity between the shows was on a scale that would have critics of Dallas 2012 in a state of rage. Jill was the main link with the past and with Meg. She spoke the first and last words in the original show and I felt that killing her off was just utter stupidity. It just seemed like madness to me. They got rid of Meg from the original version and the fans still haven't forgiven them for that and then the makers decide to kill of Jill the character most likely to be popular with the original fans of the show. They then revamped the show again and suddenly Crossroads was like Dynasty on prozac. They introduced an awful version of the theme tune but somehow I enjoyed this incarnation of the show. It was over the top and fun and I really liked the Angel Samson character and her relationship with Kate. When they first brought it back in 2001 it was a good format but it would have been better if the characters of Jill and Adam had been treated with some respect. I think the Angel character could also have been strong in this version and it might have been less of putting to viewers. Sadly it wasn't to be an Crossroads was axed again and it turned out that the whole thing had been a dream. Bit of a cop out really but at least we can return to believing that Jill is alive and that Meg is off somewhere at 90 odds looking fabulous and enjoying her retirement.

[holeinmydonut]

i do not believe for one second itv will bring crossroads back again. when it was first brought back in 2001 as a stylish hotel before the trashy dynasty/dallas shabang it was okish, watchable and sort of worked. the camp trashy 3rd incarnation, a brummie dallas with jane asher was an utter disaster. shame because if itv had stuck with the 2001 model and tweaked it a bit, it would still be on air.

[Maria - Noele Gordon Fan]

As you can tell from my profile picture I totally loved the original Crossroads and was a massive fan of Noele Gordon. From the years 1976-1981 it wouldn't be a understatement to say that I lived and breathed Crossroads.

Crossroads was top of the ratings 1976/77, beating everything the BBC could put out.

I wrote to Noele in 1977. I was also one of the many who telephoned ATV Centre who complained at Noele's axing and followed it up by letter.

Crossroads was my fave programme of all time and will remain to be. I have all the DVd's that have been released and look forward hopefully to more episodes being released in the future.

[sunshineboyuk]

Adore CROSSROADS, I have the first dvd stack, must finish watching actually, I got distracted by SONS AND DAUGHTERS. Now they've brought them all out in order I could get back into watching it properly...

[Emmerdalefan]

I asked Jean a question of Facebook about her time in Crossroads and she said she played Julie Shepherd for 3 months in late 1966 to early 1967.

I think Crossroads virtually survives in its entirety from late 1981 onwards but from the 190s only Episode 126 from April 1965, a week in November 1966 and 2 in 1967 survive plus a few from 1973 and 1974 and 1975.

I remember the last years of Crossroads from 1986 to 1988 esp the theme tune. Brings back childhood memories when I was 4 and 5. I remember both Crossroads and Emmerdale Farm in the late 1980s although Crossroads up to spring of 1988 as it ended then.

I do hope there is a small chance a few more 1965-1981 episodes may surface.

[Emmerdalefan]

I did find a list of episodes of Crossroads that are missing from 1964 to 1981 but cannot find it anywhere now. I have been looking. Much of the 1960s and 1970s is missing but I think a few eps survive from 1973, 1974 and 1975.

[TonyUKsoapfan]

Lost Shows .com has the details I think, although they're wrong about Jan-Feb 1982, they are there, they were just not logged as they were made by ATV but aired by Central so were in a 'no mans land'.

[Emmerdalefan]

A specking of episodes from 1974 survives including a Christmas episode.

I have found that they changed the famous orange and yellow end credits in 1985 sometime and they tweaked the theme tune a bit. The original twangy one was the best. I dont know when in 1985 the credits were changed as I am sure I can remember the twangy theme tune when very young. I was born in 1982 and have a few memories from 1983, 1984 and 1985 so may have remembered it then. Although the theme tune remained it was just tweaked. I think when they renamed it Crossroads Kings Oak they changed the music altogether.

[TonyUKsoapfan]

March 1985 was the new titles/theme which co-coincided with the show no longer being recorded 'as live' I think around 9 years after Corrie stopped doing the show 'as live'.

[Emmerdalefan]

Now I am starting a Crossroads Encyclopedia Wiki on Wikia and aim to make it as comprehensive as possible on the much missed show.

http://crossroads-soap-opera-encyclo...ossroads_Motel

[TonyUKsoapfan]

Who is that mysterious woman.. Miss Diane? No, this is the Bistro not a motel.. - ITV.com

http://www.itv.com/coronationstreet/...4oct-fri19oct/

Miss Diane in Corrie.

[Emmerdalefan]

I did find out the other day that ATV and Carlton kept every episode of Crossroads in script form, so that is a valuable backup to them being lost.

http://www.crossroadsmotel.co.uk/script.html

[TonyUKsoapfan]

They were stored with Emmerdale's archive in YTV of all places.

[Kajaboy]

As I have said before, I'm not a fan of Crossroads but I do have an interest in missing TV shows and it really is a shame that so much is missing. Had it been made by any of the other main ITV companies at the time the survival rate could have been a lot higher.

Link to what's missing on Lost Shows.
http://lostshows.com/default.aspx?pr...0-0333766aad8e
Out of an original total of 4522 episodes, 2854 episodes are missing and 2 others exist on formats inferior to the original.